CPAR - ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES - LESSON 2

Line

An element of art associated with the body’s axis as it moves toward different directions and adjusts to a point of reference.

Color

An element of art associated with our experiences of cold and warmth, and the quality of light in our tropical environment.

Value

An element of art; gradations of tone from light to dark, which can be an aspect of color but could also specifically refer to the play of light on an object or a scene.

Texture

An element of art; how objects and surfaces feel, and is most associated with the sense of touch or tactility.

Shape

An element of art; forms that are two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

Composition in Space

An element of art; involves the relationship between figures and elements and how they are organized.

Movement

An element of art; may occur in 2D design as rhythm or through the recurrence of motifs; related to line and the direction of the eye.

Hue

The name of the colors; how light waves of various lengths bounce off objects and enter our eyes.

Primary Colors

Blue, yellow, red.

Secondary Colors

Yellow + red = orange; red + blue = violet; blue + yellow = green.

Warm Hue

A color that has longer wave lengths, is more distinct, and seems to advance toward us.

Cool Hue

A color that has shorter wave lengths, seems to merge into each other, and appears to recede.

Saturation

How 'true' is the color.

Intensity

The degree or purity of saturation of strength of a color; the brightness or dullness of a color.

Brilliance

A property of color; when a brilliant color is mixed with a neutral hue, its hue does not change; it just becomes less intense.

Value (of a color)

The brightness or darkness of a hue; also called tone.

Tint

A color created by adding white to a pure hue.

Shade

A color created by adding black to a pure hue.

Tone

A color created by adding grey to a pure hue.

Color Scheme: Polychromatic

A color scheme using many colors.

Color Scheme: Monochromatic

A color scheme using one color mixed with white or gray to achieve its many tones.

Color Scheme: Complementary

A color scheme using colors which are considered to be complementary colors (example: Orange and Blue).

Color Scheme: Triadic

A color scheme using colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel (example: Yellow-Green, Red-Orange and Blue-Violet).

Color Scheme: Rectangle (Tetradic)

A color scheme using four colors arranged into two complementary pairs (example: Orange, Red, Blue and Green).

Color Scheme: Square

A color scheme similar to the rectangle, but with all four colors spaced evenly around the color wheel (example: Yellow, Red-Orange, Violet and Blue-Green).

Color Scheme: Analogous

A color scheme using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (example: Green, Blue-Green and Blue).

Color Scheme: Split Complement

A version of the complementary color scheme that uses the base color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement.

Black

A color that absorbs all light.

White

A color that reflects all light.

Representational Art

A style that intends to depict the world as accurately as possible.

Non-representational Art

Art that does not depict the physical world accurately.

Geometric Shape

A shape that is rectilinear or curvilinear; often found in architecture and manufactured items.

Biomorphic Shape

A shape that is irregular and resembles living organisms.

Organic Shape

A shape with nature characteristics that are free flowing, informal and irregular.

Dynamic Shape

A shape that appears moving and active.

Static Shape

A shape that appears stable and resting.

Positive Shape

The solid forms in a design.

Negative Shape

The space around the positive shape.

High-Key (Value)

When a picture uses all light values.

Low-Key (Value)

When a picture uses all dark values.

Value Scale

The gradual change in value from its lightest value, white to its darkest value black.

Value Contrast

When light values are placed next to dark values to create contrast or strong differences.